This blog digs into the idea that quotes cited from a third-party subject matter expert can significantly enhance the listener’s understanding of the concepts of another’s presentation, an observation derived from reviewing notes from the virtual symposium and recognizing that my most impactful moments were due to quotes attributed to those other than the presenter.
Dave Cormier’s presentation on ‘Intentional messiness of online communities’ (Cormier, 2017) was an excellent example of a quote adding depth to the listener’s understanding of the concept of openness, more specifically the word ‘free’ being associated with openness. A paraphrased quote attributed to Richard Stallman (Stallman as cited in Cormier, 2017) spoke to the difference of “free as in beer and free as in freedom” and how the former speaks to something you are given and likely want but having no choice in what, while the later is about choosing what you receive. By providing this quote at the beginning of his presentation, the listener was prepared to adjust their personal definitions of openness moving forward and further able to grasp the idea of the three distinctions of Open to, Open by, and Open for (Cormier, 2017) by having accepted there can be multiple ways to interpret something that initially seems to be one concept.
Another example was in Catherine Cronin’s presentation titled ‘Choosing Open’ (Cronin, 2017) where she started with a quote from Martin Weller that spoke to the risk and the reward of openness in education. The quote stated openness has never been riskier or more vital in today’s educational landscape (Weller as cited by Cronin, 2017). By beginning her presentation highlighting there are risks to the idea of open education and following that it is still a necessity, the listener is led to understand they should be cognizant of and acknowledge those risks involved with the topic, while also understanding there will be information presented to argue for advocation of open education despite the risks.
It’s interesting to note that these quotes were the anchors that expedited my understanding of the topics at a depth that would have been missing with facts, figures, and PowerPoint slides created solely by the presenter.
I’ve attached an article that digs into the ethics of using quotes within different forms of presentation for those interested in the subject here. Presenting and representing others: towards an ethics of engagement: International Journal of Social Research Methodology: Vol 20, No 3 (tandfonline.com)
Cormier, D. (2017, April 18). Intentional messiness of online communities. MALAT 2017 Virtual Symposium, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.2017_Cormier_MALATSymposium – MediaSpace | Royal Roads University
Cronin, C. (2017, April 20). Open culture, open education, open questions. MALAT 2017 Virtual Symposium, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.2017_Cronin_MALATSymposium – MediaSpace | Royal Roads University
April 20, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Good thoughts, Jessica!
For everyone: So what is it that makes open education potentially risky – and potentially rewarding? How might answering this question help to inform the development of your own digital identity and presence in online learning spaces?
April 23, 2023 at 2:47 pm
What comes to mind about the risk of open education is once you’ve posted your blog/article/etc., it’s now open to interpretation since the original context can be lost or misunderstood. There is power in building on another’s work (using quotes to get the point across faster or easier as example) but what if the work’s original point or intent is lost, or worse the message is manipulated to mean something else entirely. As the original author of the work you don’t remain in control of how that work is used.
April 23, 2023 at 2:48 pm
Open education really has us reflecting upon what our purpose is and who we are as students who will partake in this form of education. As Cronin (2017) pointed out during her presentation, it can be difficult to find balance between privacy and openness and that there are four levels of openness. I would think these four levels are the first thing one should think about as this is where lines can blur between personal, professional, student or educator. In order to know which we need digital literacy and this is not something everyone has right away, it needs to be taught.
This to me is where the risk lies within open education, if we do not have the digital literacy, it can make it difficult to participate in open education and find a balance that is needed to maintain privacy and openness and understand our audience.
Cronin, C. (2017, April 20). Open Culture, open education, open questions. MediaSpace. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://mediaspace.royalroads.ca/id/0_xz2hxcs2
April 23, 2023 at 4:18 pm
To answer your question Russ, what has always struck me as “risky” about Open Education as compared to conventional education is that the instructor (and the school) has a lot less control over the learning. Open Education by it’s nature allows for outsiders, those not pre-screened by the school, to participate. It allows for a greater flow of ideas and conversations, which I imagine means the instructor gives over some of their power and control to the learners. No more “sage on a stage”, and in fact the stage is flipped so that the learners have more power to explore the topics which interest them most.